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A Path to Healing - Te Houhanga Rongo

Part 1: Principles for dealing with complaints of sexual abuse

The Catholic Church's response to sexual abuse by clergy and religious must be founded on an acknowledgement of the wrong which has been done to those who have suffered from the abuse.

1. It must be informed by an understanding of the hurt which such abuse imposes and of the long-term harm it may cause. It must also be characterised by compassion and a recognition that the Church community must do whatever it can towards healing the hurt and repairing the harm. Sexual abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting effect on the victim. It affects their relationships with others, the Church and with God. Those who have suffered in this way can experience fear, shame, confusion and the violation of their person. They can feel guilty, blame themselves and feel that they are the ones responsible for what has happened. Victims can suffer distortions in the process of determining their sexual identity, and even their identity as persons. Victims can go through a long period of silence and denial. Sometimes they are not believed when eventually they come to tell their story, and this can reinforce their sense of guilt and shame
2. A compassionate response to the complainant must be the first priority in all cases of abuse. Complaints against clerics and religious must always be taken seriously. The person making the complaint must be heard sympathetically and sensitively. Even in cases where the complaint is mistaken or not sustainable, the person making the complaint must always be treated with compassion and respect.
3. We accept that the community expects of us a serious and ongoing role in seeking to ensure that offenders are held accountable for what they have done, come to a true appreciation of the enduring harm they have caused, seek professional help in overcoming their problems, and do whatever is in their power to make amends.
4. Whenever it has been established, either by admission or by proof, that sexual abuse did in fact take place, Church authorities will ensure that the victims are given the assistance demanded by justice and compassion. Careful and sympathetic consideration should be given to any requests by victims, even if all requests cannot be met.
5. We also recognise that other persons besides victims can also be seriously affected by incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct – the family of the victim, the family and colleagues of the offender, the parish, school community or agency in which the offender worked, and close friends. All these persons have different needs and should be offered appropriate assistance so that they can find healing and come to terms with what has happened.

   Any attempt to sexualise a pastoral relationship is a betrayal of trust, an abuse of authority, and professional misconduct.

6. Clergy and religious are in a special position of trust and authority in relation to those who are in their pastoral care – for example, those in their parish, people seeking advice or counsel, or students at school.
7. Sexual abuse by clerics and religious is a betrayal of their calling to witness to the teachings of Christ and to serve others. It is a betrayal too of the Christian community which has entrusted them with particular authority and responsibility and which expects them to behave according to clearly defined moral standards.
8. Any form of sexual behaviour with a minor, whether child or adolescent, is always sexual abuse. It is both immoral and criminal.
9. Any form of sexual behaviour with an adult in a pastoral relationship is always wrong. The person seeking pastoral care is in a vulnerable position and any form of sexual behaviour by the cleric or religious is an abuse of power. Even when the adult seems to be a willing partner, it is the professional responsibility of the cleric or religious to guard the boundary against sexual abuse.
10. Whenever the offender is a cleric or religious, Church authorities accept that he or she has responsibility to seek to bring healing to the person who has suffered from the abuse and others who have been affected.

    In any inquiry the quest for the truth will be paramount, and the truth when found will not be hidden.

11. Those making the inquiry must keep an open mind until the facts are established.
12. The receiving of a complaint and the investigation of a complaint should always be carried out with discretion and respect for confidentiality. Those who make a complaint should be assured of this and should be told explicitly who will need to be informed. All people involved should be sensitive to the safeguarding of the reputations of the complainant/victim, the accused, and any other person involved directly or indirectly..
13. Any person accused of sexual abuse will always be treated fairly and with respect. While the accusation is being investigated his or her rights as a person and member of the Church community will be respected and every effort will be made to preserve his or her good name.
14. Any person accused of sexual abuse will be presumed innocent unless and until guilt is either admitted or otherwise established. If a cleric or religious is asked to step aside from the office he or she holds or the exercise of public ministry until the matter is resolved, it is to be clearly understood and stated that the person is on leave pending investigation/resolution of the complaint and that no admissions are implied by this fact alone. Unless and until guilt has been admitted or established, those accused should not be referred to as offenders or in any way treated as offenders.

    If guilt has been admitted or proved, the Church’s response must be appropriate to the seriousness of what has happened. Serious offenders will not be given back the power they have abused.

15. If guilt has been admitted or proved, offenders must take personal responsibility for their actions. They cannot expect the Church to 'cover-up' their actions or simply transfer them out of the area.
16. If the offence is a crime in civil law and the complainant places the matter in the hands of the police, the Church authority will cease the investigation and will not do anything to protect the accused/offender from the processes of civil law nor hide the facts from those who are entitled to know them.
17. The Church authority will see to it that the accused receives proper legal assistance and advice.

    There is a potential for mistaken or unfounded accusations. Such accusations cause great stress for the individual concerned. Therefore every precaution should be taken to protect the good name of an accused while the investigation is continuing.

18. If it is found that an accusation is mistaken or without foundation, positive steps should be taken to ensure that the person wrongly accused is completely cleared of any suspicion affecting his or her good name and character, so that he or she may continue in his or her ministry or office without fear of causing scandal or arousing further suspicion
19. While the majority of priests and religious have never sexually abused anyone, they have, as a result of the actions of those of their colleagues who have abused, suffered a loss of morale and experienced a lessening of the trust and respect that was once given them. Confidence and trust need to be restored. A coherent and effective response by Church authorities to allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct will be an important element in that process.
20. The whole Church community suffers when one of its members is guilty of sexual misconduct or abuse. It is a cause of shame and hurt to us all. It is also a call for all of us to work for justice and reconciliation, forgiveness and healing, and to make a strong commitment to work towards preventing such abuse from happening again.

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